A morning at Rooiels and Harold Porter Botanical Garden

This report was provided by Jill Wheater.

After a week of extremely high temperatures in the Overberg, Saturday 11^th February was another blistering day as we set out on the spectacular drive from Hermanus to Rooiels. This small village is situated 5km north of Pringle Bay and home to the vulnerable population of Cape Rockjumpers. Undeterred by the blazing sun we set out on the gravel road with sturdy hats, copious amounts of sunscreen and icy water bottles. Thirty birders joined Anton on this walk – you certainly can’t fault birders for enthusiasm!

Initially the walk out on the gravel road was shady as the sun was hidden behind the majestic sandstone mountains and we enjoyed seeing Orange-breasted Sunbirds, Cape Bulbuls, Cape Buntings, Cape Sugarbirds and the occasional Kelp Gull and African Oystercatcher on the shore below. No sign of any Rockjumper… Google notes that Rooiels is a “hidden gem” and without doubt the stark beauty of the mountains, azure blue sea and depth of fynbos makes it worth a visit; we were all enjoying the dramatic scenery.

The respite from the heat was short-lived and certainly made birding difficult. Other species that were also recorded included: Familiar Chat, Grey-backed Cisticola, Cape Grassbird, Cape Rock Thrush and Neddicky. This kept the photographers busy; never missing any photo opportunity.

As we proceeded to make our return to the parking one of the photographers spotted a Cape Rockjumper. Goal achieved! This bird teases you by hopping in and out of sight amongst the rocks but the cameras rolled, and we were all treated to the privilege of seeing this unique and very beautiful bird. With the temperature rising we headed back and those dragging their feet – and their large lenses – were rewarded with a much closer sighting. Now exposed to the scorching heat we headed back to our cars, grateful for cooling aircon and looking forward to the relative shade of Harold Porter gardens.

The gardens are a treat in themselves and highly recommended for a visit, but the birds were hiding away in the extreme heat. However, Blue-mantled Crested Flycatchers were observed darting amongst the treetops; flexible necks and sharp eyes were required for this interaction but well worth it. Despite the heat the species recorded included Bar-throated Apalis, Cape Batis, Verreaux’s Eagle, Klaas’s Cuckoo, African Dusky Flycatcher, African Paradise Flycatchers, Fiscal Flycatcher, Karoo Prinia, Cape Robin-Chat, Black Sawwing, Olive Thrush, Swee Waxbill and Cape White-eye. Interestingly, whilst we were blithely craning our necks one of the birders was busy photographing the snakes on the ground! Fortunately, none of us looked at our feet!

A walk to the waterfall in the shade of the trees ended our visit. The unique Disa uniflora flower (emblem of the Western Cape) was no longer in bloom but apparently is spectacular in December and January next to the waterfall. The vegetation in the gardens is diverse and reminded us of how privileged we are to have such depth of nature on our doorstep. Over half of the species recorded on this trip were endemic or near-endemic confirming why this region is one of the top birding destinations.

Magnificent scenery, great birding despite the heat and excellent camaraderie – a very special way to spend a Saturday morning.